The State Worker: Fearless ‘forecasts’ for the year gone by

Other scribblers might guess how those stories will play out, but The State Worker dares run counter to convention with 100-percent-guaranteed-accurate “predictions” – for the year past:

▪ Cal Fire starts 2015 by dismissing, demoting or accepting resignations and retirements from 15 managers at its Ione academy. Some of the reasons alleged or admitted: on-the-clock drinking, misuse of state property including liaisons with prostitutes, inappropriate photos and Web links stored and shared on state phones, cheating for promotions and sexual harassment of women.

▪ Caltrans finishes outfitting 7,400 fleet vehicles with monitoring systems, then notices that speeding incidents nearly double. Is accountability one reason? Despite the whiz-bang tech, the department doesn’t fully use a system feature that electronically identifies drivers. The department explains that efficiency is the program’s priority, not cracking down on speeders.

▪ A July report ranks state buildings in greatest need of renovation or replacement. The Board of Equalization’s notorious 24-story tower on N Street – its drain-system core crumbling and sidewalk scaffolding shielding pedestrians from exterior glass panels that might fall – ranks just No. 16. The worst-off state hall of shame? The 51-year-old Resources Building at 1416 Ninth St.

We’ll throw the kitchen sink at it.

Union spokesman Steve Maviglio’s prediction that labor will fight all-out to defeat any pension rollback that reaches the 2016 ballot

▪ A probe by The Bee exposes evidence of widespread cheating on Cal Fire academy exams, calling into question the training received by hundreds of firefighters over several years. Cal Fire acknowledges lapses but downplays their significance, while noting it purged academy management in January.

▪ Two ballot proposals would limit pension benefits for new state and local government workers hired after a certain date, unless voters say otherwise. The proponents will pick one, then see if they can raise at least $27 million to pay for signature collection and a campaign. Union spokesman Steve Maviglio predicts labor will “throw the kitchen sink” at the measure.

A safe bet, given the unions’ avowed opposition to cutting retirement benefits. Almost as safe as forecasting the events of 2015 after they’ve happened.

About This Blog

The Sacramento Bee launched The State Worker blog in 2008 to cover state government from the perspective of California government employees. Every day The Bee filters the news through a single question: "What does this mean for state workers?" Subscribe to alerts on state pay, benefits, pensions, contracts and jobs at sacbee.com/newsletters. Twitter: @TheStateWorker.